Will disabling thumb drives affect keyboard and mouse functions?

Shutting down USB drives altogether may be a wise decision for your enterprise, but what does that mean for systems that rely exclusively on USB for the keyboard and mouse? Security threat expert Ed Skoudis explains.

How do you disable the use of thumb drives on newer desktop computers that only have USB connections for the keyboard and mouse? I read your recent response concerning USB threats to organizations, and the solutions in your original response would appear to disable these input devices and prevent use of the computer.

That's a really good question. This is a major bummer for organizations who would like to shut down USB devices altogether, but are stuck with systems that rely exclusively on USB for keyboard and mouse. So, what to do?

The good news here is that Microsoft uses a separate set of drivers for USB keyboard and mouse devices than it...

By submitting my Email address I confirm that I have read and accepted the Terms of Use and Declaration of Consent.

By submitting your personal information, you agree to receive emails regarding relevant products and special offers from TechTarget and its partners. You also agree that your personal information may be transferred and processed in the United States, and that you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.

does for USB storage drives. Thus, you can use Group Policy to disallow storage drivers from being loaded, while still enabling keyboard and mouse use. There is a wonderful article on how to disable USB devices by Hannes Schmidt.

0 comments

E-Mail

Username / Password

Password

By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Privacy